The Dark Side of Smart Cities: Examining the Risks and Challenges of Living in a digital world.
The ramifications of living in a digital environment are extensive and complicated as our world becomes more and more digitised. One illustration of how technology is changing urban environments is in ‘smart cities’, which rely on cutting-edge technologies and data-driven decision making.
What exactly is a smart city?
‘A smart city is a municipality that uses information and communication technologies (ICT) to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public and improve both the quality of government services and citizen welfare.’ TechTarget.
Living in a smart city has numerous advantages, such as increased effectiveness, safety, and sustainability, but there are also substantial drawbacks and risks to take into account.
Three basic categories can be used to broadly classify smart cities:
- 1.0: a development strategy that works from the top-down, utilising technology to solve issues without fully appreciating the potential long-term effects of the technology in an urban setting and how it might influence the quality of life for residents. An example is Songdo in South Korea.
- 2.0: this is the bottom-up approach. This is led by cities, with focus on the enhancement of quality of life using technological solutions as chosen by visionary majors and city administrators. The role of smart technologies and other breakthroughs in shaping the future of the city is determined by the municipality. The best example of this is the Rio mayor’s decision to consult IBM for help in developing a sensor network to lessen the impact of landslides in the favelas perched on the hillside.
- 3.0: this is the latest phase of smart city development. It is a more citizen-centric approach to urban-planning and the implementation of technology. It places a strong emphasis on sustainability, citizen engagement, and the integration of technology and data to build a more liveable and equitable urban environment. Promoting social and environmental sustainability using renewable energy sources and circular economy models is the focus of Smart City 3.0. Take for example, Amsterdam. The city has implemented a smart mobility system that encourages the use of bicycles, public transport, and electric vehicles. These are all initiatives to prioritise citizen wellbeing and sustainability whilst simultaneously leveraging technology.
Technology-driven cities place a high priority on using data and technology to propel urban growth, often with an emphasis on efficiency and optimisation. On the other hand, citizen-driven cities prioritise engagement and participation of citizens in decision-making processes, frequently with an emphasis on social and environmental sustainability. To build more inclusive and liveable urban settings, hybrid cities aim to strike a balance between technology and citizen interaction.
Surveillance and Privacy
One of the key implications of living in a digital world is the possibility for increased surveillance and a loss of privacy. To help with decision-making and the enhancement of urban services, data is gathered from a variety of sources, including sensors, mobile devices, and cameras. Whilst this data can be used for beneficial purposes like, forecasting natural disasters and improving congestion, it can be used to monitor and track people without their consent, and it’s been shown to not work in certain instances. For instance, the use of the facial recognition technology coupled with the estimated 420,000 CCTV cameras in the city of London employed to keep an eye on public areas and monitor people’s whereabouts. Although the goal of this technology is to increase public safety, it has drawn criticism for its potential to infringe on people’s civil liberties and privacy. Campaigners for free speech claim that the use of facial recognition technology has significant consequences for fundamental human rights, such as the right to privacy and the right to protest. More than a third (38%) of 16 to 24-year-olds polled in London, as well as 28% of individuals of ethnic minority background voiced they would avoid events seen by live facial recognition technology. Even amongst Caucasian men, a group who ‘dominate…our society’, the technology often fails to function. Police testing a facial recognition system in South Wales saw 91% of matches classified as false positives, as the system made a staggering 2,451 inaccurate identifications and only 234 correct ones when comparing a face to a name on the watchlist.
Furthermore, there are concerns that those in positions of power may abuse or misuse these systems. According to research from GetApp, an analyst platform, at least 72% of people worry about how their biometric data may be misused or stolen. Concerned about unauthorised or criminal use of their data, 25% of respondents do not trust this technology to use or retain their data in a safe and legal manner.
Inequality
The possibility of greater inequality is another effect of living in a smart city. Although smart city technologies have the potential to enhance residents’ quality of life, there is a chance that the advantages won’t be shared fairly. For instance, in certain smart cities, a focus is placed on creating technology that cater to the demands of the citizens who are wealthy, such as cutting-edge transit systems or opulent housing projects. As a result, people with lower incomes can be left behind and without access to the same level of amenities and services. They face contending with issues such as residual segregation and spatial mismatch. In Toronto, for instance, plans for a smart city development have come under fire because they prioritise high-end housing and commercial prospects over affordable housing and public services.
The Real World
Living in a smart city raises questions about the role of technology in our lives in addition to concerns about surveillance and inequality. There is a danger that we will become unduly dependent on these systems and lose touch with our environment because smart technology has already become embedded in every element of urban life. For example, if we solely relying on intelligent transit systems to go around the city, we risk losing our bearings and losing touch with the real world. Moreover, there is a chance that we will lose our capacity for independent decision-making and affect our chain of thought as we depend more and more on technology.
Smart cities offer great prospects for positive transformation, despite these key implications, which must be understood. They have the ability to advance urban planning, boost public safety, and stimulate economic growth by utilising data and technology. But we must proceed cautiously when creating smart cities, giving inhabitants’ privacy, autonomy, and well-being top priority, and working to guarantee that the advantages of these technologies are shared fairly.
In conclusion, there are numerous and varied effects of living in a digital age. While there are many prospects for positive developments in smart cities, there are also issues with surveillance, inequality, and the use of technology in our daily lives and it’s imperative for us stakeholders to keep these considerations in mind.
Reflection
Well, I think it is fair to say Digital Society has been one of, if not, my favourite module taken at university. So, I think it is important to start this reflection with a thank you. Thank you to all the contributors from across the topics and thank you for the resources provided to assist with our learning- it’s massively appreciated.
Coming from an Economics and Finance background, the opportunity to jump into something completely different- in terms of the thinking, the application, and the manner in which it is taught- was seriously refreshing. I was left satisfied with the way the course unit was set out, the relevance and real-time application the material had. In my Economics modules, one does recognise how some models and theories taught had and still have application to the modern day, however, I believe it is important to acknowledge these models and the assumptions within them were shaped based on yesteryear. No one could have predicted how quickly we’ve evolved.
The pandemic was a time of uncertainty, thus for me, a period of deep reflection. I did find myself continuously thinking about the future and especially the ‘current-future’ at that time; ‘How are we globally going to react to this unknown disease?’ This module has helped me take it a step further- one thinks about these issues critically now and the impacts on relevant stakeholders.
For example- previously I would ask myself, ‘what are some potential advantages associated with implementing smart city technologies, keeping in mind the perspective of residents, local authorities and firms, as well as the effects of the pandemic?’ Now it would look more like this: ‘What are the potential drawbacks and risks of implementing smart city technologies, such as surveillance, privacy invasion, and increased reliance on technology, whilst considering the worries of residents, local authorities, and firms, as well as the potential for inequality to worsen during the pandemic?
Furthermore, I feel this module has allowed me to have an increased online presence with the opportunity to post blogs on a public platform in Medium. This allows me to engage in active discourse. As well as this, I feel like my writing skills have evolved as I have learnt the language required to write in a blog format. This has been helped through continuous practise, in developing a writing style and routine, increasing my comfort in expressing myself, and the informative and thoughtful feedback one has also received from the readers of my blogs.
I think this module has come as a real benefit to me particularly going forward. It has allowed me to be versatile and dynamic in a range of subject topics and has raised my awareness on the continued challenges and opportunities faced globally. As I am potentially entering the workplace next year, I feel like putting this module on my CV will allow me a competitive edge particularly for roles that require digital literacy and the knowledge of technology’s impact in the workplace, particularly when collaborating with colleagues- and society.
